Longfellow Quote

Longfellow Quote

Thursday, November 1, 2012

For November

As it is the first day of November, and the day after Halloween, I thought I would make a nod to Mary Shelley....

"IT WAS on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.

How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! -- Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips."

Frankenstein, Chapter 5

3 comments:

  1. Odd that no one decided to make a comment. I am fond of Nov. 1 but not so much of Mr. Frank. How did you like this style of writing?

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  2. I really adored this book when I read it as a teen. It was such an appropriate book to write about on this particular day!

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  3. I am just now finding comments - I admit I love this gothic style of writing, but I love many different styles as well. This genre always excites me in the autumn!

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